Inlays and Onlays

When patients chip a tooth or have extensive decay, we can help them at Dr. Amit Pandya’s New Hyde Park dental office. Replacing an entire crown is not always necessary—we also offer partial crowns, known as inlays and onlays.

The chewing surfaces of the molars and premolars have raised cusps with indentations between them. These cusps can sometimes chip and food debris can get stuck in the indentations, eventually leading to decay. When that happens, we’ll drill away the decayed section and then make an impression of the patient’s mouth. The patient is provided with a temporary artificial crown while the impression is used at a dental lab to manufacture a prosthetic. An onlay is a partial crown that replaces or covers a cusp; an inlay is one that settles between them.

Once the partial crown arrives at our office, we’ll be able to cement it into the patient’s tooth. The patient should then be free to enjoy their restored bite function. A partial crown still has to be brushed regularly. Patients can also prevent decay by getting fluoride sealants to smooth out their teeth’s indentations.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Reasons for Extractions

When we extract teeth at Dr. Amit Pandya’s New Hyde Park dental practice, we do so quickly after ensuring that our patients fully understand their post-operative instructions. But because the outcome of extractions depends so heavily on the patient’s commitment, we want to make sure they are aware of why they are undergoing extractions in the first place and why it is often the best option.

A lot of extractions in young people are done to ensure the remaining teeth will have enough room to form a healthy arch. Well-aligned teeth are easier to keep clean, won’t put as much strain on the jaw muscles during chewing, and keep the face straighter, but the mouth often doesn’t have enough room for all of them. A set of premolars are often removed prior to orthodontic work, and wisdom teeth are commonly extracted to prevent them from getting stuck while erupting. Baby teeth may also be extracted if they do not fall out naturally before their adult replacements grow in.

We always try to save teeth that have been damaged, but sometimes extractions are necessary to protect the patient’s health. A cracked crown can be repaired or replaced, but a crack that goes all the way through the crown and root cannot be and the tooth will have to be replaced with an implant.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gum Disease

Autoimmune disorders often complicate peoples’ oral health, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is no exception. Scientists have recently made great strides in understanding how this disease affects the gums, and we want patients at Dr. Amit Pandya’s dental practice in New Hyde Park to know what they’re facing.

People with RA have extremely high rates of gum disease. A recent study by Johns Hopkins found the number could be as high as 70%. While scientists formerly believed this was because people with RA have difficulty moving their hands, they noticed that people whose RA was still in its early stages also had high rates of gingivitis.

New research has found similarities between gum tissue and synovium, the joint lining that becomes inflamed when the immune system mistakenly attacks it. Some of the medications that are used to combat RA may also cause dry mouth, which increases the risk of gingivitis. Patients may need an electric toothbrush to maintain their oral hygiene, as well as throat moisturizers and water picks. They can also reduce their risk of RA and other oral health diseases by not smoking.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Types of Teeth

Every tooth needs to be brushed and flossed to stay healthy. But the teeth also have specialized functions. At Dr. Amit Pandya’s New Hyde Park dental practice, we believe patients should have an understanding of basic oral health issues, which is why we wanted to provide a guide to what makes teeth distinct.

Adults typically grow thirty-two permanent teeth to replace the twenty-two they grew in childhood. There are sixteen teeth in each jaw. The four in the front of the jaw are called incisors, and they are used for speech and for tearing food. To the sides of the incisors are the cuspids, so called because they end in a point. They are also called canines or eye teeth. The upper cuspids sometimes have difficulty breaking through the gum line, and in rarer cases, so do the lateral incisors.

The premolars and molars are used for chewing. Their crowns have multiple cusps, but the premolars (four per jaw) only have one root. The molars (three per jaw) in the lower jaw have two roots and the ones in the upper jaw have three. Molars have strong ligaments and have to withstand incredible force. The wisdom teeth, which are the largest molars and the ones furthest in the back, also commonly have difficulty erupting.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.